After Sovereign
by Akeeni
Summary: Garrus tries to come to terms with his newfound feelings towards his commander. Rated M for frequent smut and language.


Garrus looks around the crowded room. In his semi drunken state he see's the crew of the Normandy in a way he has never before seen. Tight buns and ponytails have been undone, leaving hair stuck to the smiling faces of young female support staff. Some of them crowed around in small groups, huddling over brightly coloured drinks garnished with fruit, but most are on the dance floor, moving and gyrating with their male counterparts, looking at them in a way they never did aboard the Normandy. The men had shed most of their uniforms, bracers dangling next to their legs, berets being frizbeed across the room or being adorned on the nearest Asari stripper.

Even Pressley sat slurring and heavy lidded next to his uniform jacket, worshipping Joker and his ability to drop the Mako in such a small spot back on Ilos. He had his hand on the boys shoulder, and every now and then clapped the frail kid on the back with a heavy hand that seemed to be causing Joker immense amount of pain. He eventually stopped when the human doctor, Chakwas, intercepted one of his congratulatory back slaps and Pressley drunkenly decided she needed to be worshipped now.

Garrus sighed with content as he saw the non human crew members mixing just as easily with the predominately human crowed. Wrex had a small group of raw alliance recruits wide eyed and breathless as he recounted one of his many war stories. Judging by the swift and savage gestures of his hands, it was a good one too. In the back of his mind, Garrus tried to remind himself to ask Wrex about it later.

Liara sat cross legged and sensible with Chakwas, although her inebriation was obvious through her intense giggling as Tali, innocently chatting with Engineer Adams, was assaulted by the Pressley congratulatory backslap. The tiny Quarian flew forward off her seat, only managing to compose herself as Pressley launched another backslap and made Tali promise she would never forget how she changed his life.

A warm and happy feeling crept up into his belly, as he saw her walking back towards him. She only got out of the med bay yesterday, but she looked amazing. Her precise military march was slowly being replaced with a casual strut as she bobbed her head to the music. Her hair was short and messy, and she had adapted to the crews new uniform regs, and ditched her blue alliance issue shirt for a black singlet top. Garrus imagined it had more to do with the bandage on her upper arm, but he appreciated it none the less. She had slowly been working her way out of her military cocoon over the last few days. Shepard the commander was morphing into Suuki, the dear friend. She gracefully glided her way through the crowed, carrying two drinks in distinctly different shaped glasses. She caught his eye and held up the longer, thinner glass at him, a hopeful look on her face. He nodded at her, indicating that she had ordered the right drink, and she smiled at herself and continued her navigation through a throng of squirming bodies and stomping feet. More than one person stopped her to put their arm around her and shout some type of bizarre human victory cry. She enthusiastically joined them, careful not to spill their drinks.

Garrus leaned back in his chair and watched her jump around with a group of alliance soldiers, still skilfully keeping both drinks full. If anyone in that room knew how to read a turian's face, they would have seen the faintest hint of confusion. Suuki, the dear friend of his. Suuki, his commander. Suuki the warrior woman who was causing him alot of confusion.

Not a week ago, he sat broken hearted underneath a pile of rubble, thinking she had been killed. He was a military man, and a C-sec officer. He had had comrades die. But he was shocked at the way his heart sank to the deepest pits of his stomach as he thought of her lying, crushed by Reaper debris. He wanted to find her body, hold it close to him and whisper words into her dead ear that he hadn't realised he wanted so badly to say. He sat in that darkened space with him...Kaiden...and put up no resistance as emotion after emotion came bubbling to the surface, assaulting him worse than Saren did.

When Anderson dragged him limping from the darkness, his heart bounced into his throat as they all witnessed her reappear above a pile of debris, that cheeky smile on her face. He almost cried out with relief. He wanted to run on his injured leg and sweep her up into his arms, overcome her with the same emotions he only just realised he felt for her. But instead he stood there. He just stood there as Kaiden embraced her and cradled her injured arm. Suuki had shot Garrus a victorious smile as alliance soldiers and medics fussed over her, but he was sure the only thing he managed to do was awkwardly twitch his mandibles. They had just defeated a great foe...two actually...but he had the feeling he had only just started fighting. Probably with himself.

Garrus had to hand it to Suuki. The woman partied as hard as she fought. Leaving the drunken alliance cheer squad, she finally made her way to her table with Garrus, who pushed her seat out and took the drinks from her.

"You could have let me get those, you know..." He mused. Suuki absently started licking up any spillages from her arm. "You got the last ones." She pointed out to him. "You don't have to play the gentleman around me, I'm on to...ewww I think that one was from your drink..."

He chuckled at the twisted look on her face. She was capable of showing so much emotion on that tiny face...his drunken mind wanted to see her smile again, then her cheeky smirk...he also loved the look on her face as she lined up an enemy in her scope...and somewhere the primitive part of his brain wanted to see her eyes closed, mouth open in surprise but lips slack and wet, panting...

"Tastes like medicine..." Her critique of Turian alcohol shook him out of his shallow daydream. They both took deep gulps of their respective drinks, albeit for different reasons, and the conversation naturally shifted around them. Over the next few hours, they laughed with each other, observed their colleagues, recounted the battle with Sovereign and drunkenly put their arms around each other in an enormous bear hug after they had enough drinks. She pulled out of his bear hug and smiled at him, showing her delicate teeth. She had a gap between two of them and he thought that was beautiful. It was small, but there. Garrus could only see it when she smiled hard enough.

Her eyes, heavy with inebriation, locked onto his and he saw the most genuine adoration come from her. She reached forward and hugged him tighter. He gently put his leathery hand on her bare back and stroked her soft skin. Speech slurred, and breath hot against his hidden ear she whispered "You are so good to me...your my best friend Garrus. Jesus...I would trust you with anything..." The feel of her pressed against him was too intense. The scent of her body travelled through his sensitive nose and electrified his other senses. He felt his head swim and his crotch tighten, and he remembered everything he wanted to say to her in the brief moments when he though she was dead. He could smell her blood pumping through her veins and it intoxicated him. His instincts screamed at him to claim her as his own, claim her, now, now, NOW!

But as he pulled back to look into her eyes all he could manage to do was disguise his desire by turning from her and gulping down more of his drink.

He sat completely still, Looking away from her with his glass to his mouth. The excitement of her emotional and physical closeness died down into self loathing as he scolded himself for losing his nerve like that. He further scolded himself for thinking of her in such a way...she trusted him...he was her best friend.

Garrus swivelled back in his chair to face her, only to see her face contorted with pleasure. Alenko had snuck up behind her, and was whispering things into her ear that was...visibly pleasing her. Garrus could see his soft human lips gently dampening her earlobe. In her drunken state, she leaned against the dark haired human and closed her eyes, clearly putting a picture to the wonderful things that he was telling her. His mood soured as he realised that he was sitting far too close to a couple having such a private moment. He was also angered at the nerve of Alenko for barging up to her and stealing her attention like this. He covertly, but unsteadily, stood up from his seat and looked for a good place to hide. Alot of people had gone back to their alliance funded hotel rooms. Some alone, and some lucky enough to have found someone to have life affirming passion with.

Two large groups remained. Joker sat further recounting his involvement in taking down Sovereign, a large crowed of Asari and female humans hanging on his every word. Beneath the anger, rejection and the unrequited lust he felt for the couple he left at the table, he registered a certain respect for Joker. That kid had been drinking all night and was still remarkably lucid.

Wrex sat with a larger group of Alliance soldiers, recruits and veterans, telling yet another tale of bloodshed and wanton savagery. It suited Garrus just fine, and he sat quietly near the Krogan and hoped he had not heard this story before.

He had heard this one before, and before he knew it, his eyes had wandered back to where he was just sitting. Shepard had spun around in her seat and was pressed firmly against Alenko. She had knocked over Garrus' drink in the process. He felt his mandibles twitch in frustration as he saw her whisper something in his ear, and follow with a playful nibble on his earlobe. Her hand gently brushed his crotch and he pressed closer to her. She pulled back and he saw the hunger in her eyes as she met Kaiden's. Garrus could not bring himself to look away, but the decision was made for him when Shepard hopped down from her stool and stumbled out of the club with Alenko, not giving a look to anyone else in the room. The glass he was drinking out of earlier had rolled off the table in the commotion and smashed on the floor.

An intense loathing rushed over him. Wrex was talking of tearing a man into pieces, and Garrus had to keep the image of Kaiden out of Wrex's story. The Asari listening to Joker's story were getting rowdy and making too much noise. He was hot headed. He was drunk. He was definitely losing his temper. In one swift movement he got to his feet and made for the exit. He had to get out.

"That guy!" He heard a voice from the flock of purple and blue bodies. "That guy right there ! Shot Saren in the face ! Right in the FACE!" Joker was yelling loud enough for the whole club to hear him.

A couple of Asari cooed at him, and Garrus heard a human voice yell from the back of the club. "Get that man a dance !" Laughter erupted from all sides and it served only to make Garrus angrier. He really had to get out. He had to cool down.

He made for the exit again, only to be cut off by a deep purple face. Lips gently parted and moist, she stood before him and blissful silence.

"Come on soldier..." She purred, running her hands down her own barely clad form. "Save the galaxy, get a free lap dance. It's our special." Hooting and hollering broke out behind him. Cheers of encouragement and disbelief rang out behind him. Garrus eyed the exit again, but the hollering got louder. Awkwardness overtaking anger, he let the eager woman lead him to a booth in the back of the club. Completely private. When he stood up, he could only just see over the enclosed walls. He could hear the heavy breathing and moans coming from the booth next to his. It was vaguely disgusting.

Without wasting a second, the Asari woman mounted the table and motioned for Garrus to sit in front of her. "Want a drink?" She asked. Garrus remembered Shepard licking his drink off her own forearm, then the glass smashing on the ground. He shook his head, feeling drunk enough.

She began her erotic dance in front of him. Truth be told, Garrus felt mighty bored, but appreciated that he was at least out of the crowed. He idly watched as she gyrated to the music. He could have watched the same dance out in the open. He started to wish he had another drink.

As the music built up the Asari threw her head back, eyes closed, lips parted but slack...Garrus got his breath stuck in his throat as it occurred to him Shepard was probably making that same expression right now. The Asari caught onto his sudden change in demeanor and a victorious smile crossed her face. She had him now...he tried to play bored...she was going to make him squirm...

She raised her hand above the booth wall and motioned for another drink. It was delivered much quicker than it should have been, but she didn't hand it over. Instead she dipped her finger into the cool liquid and traced her finger over his mouth. His tongue flicked up some of the alcohol, and he was intoxicated all over again.

_She licks the stray liquid off her milky skin. He forcefully grabs her arm and looks into her eyes, abandoning all fear. She is startled. Still keeping her gaze, he licks up the length of her arm, tasting salt, alcohol and flesh..._

His eyes were closed and his tongue still lingered on the Asari's fingertip. She giggled victoriously. The image of Shepard gasping as his tongue ran the length of her arm dances before him. The Asari violently pushed his face back and he sat back in his chair, back to reality. She handed the drink over to him and continued her dance, pumping and grinding her body more intensely. The fantasy stayed with Garrus as he downed more of his drink. The dark purple form in front of him faded, replaced with creamy soft skin and messy black hair. Bright green eyes challenged him, and the cheeky smile told him he was welcome to her.

He blinked and the desperate purple frame was back again. She caught sight of his arousal through his tight fitting trousers. Knowing how badly she wanted to tease him, she reached for his manhood.

_He slapped away the hand that tried to grab his rifle. "uh huh..." He cooed. He sat propped up against the Mako, legs stretched out. Freshly polished firearms to his right, greased and dirty one's to his left and a beautiful woman sitting opposite him in a similar position. Shepard withdrew her hand from his beloved sniper rifle as he lovingly picked up the weapon and caressed it._

"_No one polishes my rifle but me." He stated plainly. He began rubbing the rifle with the greasy rag, before he noticed Shepard sitting completely still, biting the inside of her lips and desperately trying to suppress a laugh. _

_As their eyes met and Garrus realised what he said she burst out laughing. He laughed with her, and shook his head at his own ineloquence. She tried several times to calm herself and stop laughing, but the sight of him lovingly handling his gun kept overwhelming her. He was laughing more at her than himself. It took six and a half minutes before she finally wiped the tears from her face and apologised._

The Asari continues to softly stroke his length. The turian opens his eyes again and the hunger in them startles her. She feels her own body reacting as she thinks it's for her. She turns around and slides off the table, her rear coming into close proximity of his throbbing manhood. Her back flat against his chest, she exposes her neck and slides downwards, gyrating from side to side.

Garrus pushed his face to her neck and inhaled. Instead of the sweet smell of soap, grease and sweat, his senses were violated by the overwhelming stench of cigarettes, cheap perfume and other men. He screwed his face in disgust and fully opened his eyes. Aware of the desperate pumping of the Asari in his lap. He felt a wave of shame wash over him, and wondered if his free dance was over.

The Asari answered his question and stood with her back to him. He had jerked away from her so suddenly. No one did that! She was going to make him beg for her! She gently slid down the flimsy straps on her shoulder. She half turned and raised an eyebrow, massaging her own full breasts. He brought two talons up and easily unhooked the strap. The clothing was discarded, but she did not turn around, only returning to grinding her rear against his crotch.

_She lifted up the blue alliance issue shirt and turned her back to him, the effects of the alcohol obvious in her speech and his posture. _

"_Its right there just unhook the bra or pull it up." She slured. Garrus fumbled momentarily with the bra clasp before deciding on pushing it up instead. His talons slid along smooth skin and underneath her simple black bra, he saw a small tattoo of a white bird. Shepard delved into a fascinating story about how her whole unit got that tattoo, but Garrus was not listening. Her hitched up bra had neglected her left breast, and from over her shoulder he can see it perfectly. He was unfamiliar with breasts, but he knew they are private to women. He wondered if Suuki knew he was looking, but trusted him enough not to care. It jiggled enticingly as she hitched up her bra a bit further and strained her neck to see her own tattoo._

_It's was small and pointed. He was relatively certain he could fit it in his mouth. He briefly wondered if she is close enough to him to show off her tattoo, would she let him just quickly feel the soft flesh of her breast. But she has finished with her story and casually pulled her bra and shirt back down, asking him if turians get any tattoos other than their markings._

His hands travelled down the Asari's chest. She moans softly as his coarse fingers brush her nipples.

_He pulls her close to him and forces his hand up her blue shirt. She turns her head and her green eyes pierce him as her back is pushed up against his torso. He is unashamed and eager as he gently feels the small, pointed mounds. Soft and delicate, reacting to his touch. She purrs and rubs up against him, encouraging him further. He rips her shirt clean off and she eagerly removes the bra herself. He picks her up and firmly holds her with his weight against the wall. She cries out and wraps her legs around him as he lowers his mouth to her chest and nibbles gently on her nipple..._

Another smell has joined the Asari. This one is completely new. He briefly comes back to reality and realises the extent of his eagerness with this unknown woman. Scratch marks criss cross her chest, and there is blood welling in a few of them. She grunts with desire and turns to face him. A predatory look on her face that does not register any reaction in his head. The smell is overwhelming as she straddles him in the chair, fiercely grinding her hips downwards and bringing her lips to his mandibles.

_Shepard was sitting on Ash's unmade bed, crying uncontrollably in his ear. He was uncomfortable, but he wanted to make her feel better. She limply held a book of poetry in her right hand, and he had to catch it as her sobs got caught in her throat and she almost choked. He gently closed the book and resumed holding her in his long arms. Ash's personal belongings had spilled out of her locker, and there was a framed picture of a young girl who bore a strong family resemblance beaming up at them from the floor._

_Suuki screamed that it was unfair. She should not have had to make that decision. She punched the pillow and even beat her fist on his armour. He stroked her hair and let her get it out of her system. He wanted to explain that he could not imagine ever making that call, but the words don't form. He wanted to say how brave and magnificent she is but every sentence he comes up with sounds clumsy and cliché. He settled for holding her tight and letting her vent her grief. She whispered that she maybe should have let Kaiden die. He hushed her and told her she didn't mean that. She sobbed for a while longer but eventually pulled away, her clear complexion mottled with red patches._

_They talked about Ash some more. Garrus said she was a fine soldier and died a hero. He sat quietly as she picked up the book and read Ulysses out loud. Kaiden never came to comfort her that day, and avoided her aboard the Normandy for a few days after._

The Asari notices his ragged breath and shallow gasps. She slides down to the floor and eagerly wraps her moist lips around his rock hard dick.

_Back on the floor of the cargo bay, Suuki stops laughing and snatches the rifle back from Garrus' hands. She smiles that cheeky smile and says she wants to play with a real gun. The rifle is thrown across the floor and he almost immediately feels her hot breath on his awakening crotch. His pants are removed and her mouth eagerly takes his entire length. She looks up at him with warm, knowing eyes. She wants him to enjoy this. She does not want him to be ashamed. She trusts him..._

The Asari stands up defiantly and takes stock of her client. He opens his eyes and views her with a look she cannot pinpoint. The sight of his long hard dick pointing out makes her knees go weak, but she is determined to stay in control and make him beg for her to mount him again. She sits on the table and ever so slightly parts her long purple legs.

"Tell me you want me"

"_I want you Suuki." The book tumbles to the ground and she stares at him. Her blotched red face is frozen in surprise. He caresses her cheek and tells her that she is wonderful. He tells her she is a goddess. He leans over her and whispers things into her ear that make her feel indestructible. His voice tells her everything she needs to hear to be ok again. She brings her palms up to his shoulders and pulls his tall frame over her. He continues to whisper into her ear and they slip under the covers. He tells her that he loves her and he feels the moist heat coming from in between her legs. She arches her back and readies herself for him..._

The turian remains silent and it bothers her. He has his hand on her thighs massaging inwards but he seems to be in a trance of his own making. Her eyes slide back down to his crotch and she breathes in shallow and ragged. She nudges him with her foot and she makes sure he gets the full view as she slides her panties down her legs. She straddles him and hovers her pussy over the tip of his dick, gently moistening the tip with a few slight movements of her hips. She was going to makes this fucker beg...

_She backs away from the bed and stares at him, legs tightly closed. He doesn't know what he has done wrong. He loves her and he wants to show her how much. He wants to please her. He strokes the soft skin on her arm and looks at her quizzically. Tears well up in her eyes and she mouths his name;_

"_Kaiden"_

_Garrus feels the anger rise in his belly. She is in the club, turning away from him and spilling his drink._

The Turian lets out a savage growl from somewhere in the pits of his stomach and the Asari is slightly startled and she continues to gyrate her hips, their unsheathed sex organs occasionally making brief contact.

_Kaiden whispers in her ear and starts to pull her away from him, away from their embrace. Garrus rises to his feet and violently pulls her away from him. She grips the table to stop herself from falling and he takes the opportunity to position himself behind her. The anger that she would go back to the same man who abandoned her when Ash died overwhelmed him._

The Asari is startled as the Turian finally jumps to his feet and turns her around. She skilfully splays her hands out over the table and pushes her rear into his cock.

"Beg for it!" She demands through clenched teeth, although her voice waivers and lacks authority.

"Your mine" He finally says to her, ignoring her request. "No one else can touch you. Can't you see? Don't you want to see how I can make you feel?" He gently licks the back of her neck and she almost buckles under the pleasure. He nibbles at her ear and one hand reaches down in front of him to caress her breasts and carefully pinch her nipples.

"Oh fuck..." The Asari gasps.

_Shepard stars back at him with wide eyes. Kaiden is gone. The club is empty. It's only them. Her gasps are shallow and frantic as he violently removes her clothing. She makes no effort to escape. He changes the pace and runs his hand down her smooth back._

"Oh Fuck!" The Asari cries as his talons gently scratch down her spine making her entire body tingle.

_He keeps one hand around her waist, not willing to give her a chance to disappear. He mimics the Asari's trick and gently presses the head of his cock to her wet folds. His free hand pushes on her rear to stop her from pushing down onto him. He is in complete control this time._

_Bright green eyes turn to look at him through messy hair, clinging to the sweat of the forehead. A savage smile crosses her face as her heaving breaths draw attention to her small but amazing breasts. She leans further down on the table and spreads her legs wider, daring him. He makes like he is about to thrust hard into her but stops at the last minute, only letting her feel the tip. She cries out in frustration. A deep growl. A deep predatory growl. She stares back angrily at him, hunger written all over her expression._

_Still keeping one hand around her waist, he braces himself against the table with one long arm and leans down to her ear. His voice comes out cool and molten. Fiery and calm. The natural flanging in his voice and the force behind his statement makes her shudder hard against him._

"_Beg for it."_

The Asari is almost worked into a frenzy, desperately searching for his dick with her pussy. Suddenly able to find her voice, she gasps frantically "Please, oh fuck yes please!"

_He wastes no more time. He grabs her rounded hips and slams himself into her. Her green eyes turn away from him as she violently arches her back and cries out. She continues to beg even as he pushes himself harder and faster. With every thrust he can see the reflection of her breasts bouncing in the table. The muscle under the small white bird flexes and contracts and she pushes herself down to meet him. Her nails try to grip the smooth table. Her voice cries out his name. His instinct takes over and he leans down and bites hard into her shoulder. He marks her, claims her, and leaves something so the other males know she is not to be touched. _

_He suddenly removes himself from her, overcome with the desire to watch her face. She sits up on the glass table wraps her legs around him. He resumes the same impossible pace, and tangles her hair into his talons. He keeps her forehead pressed against his as they snarl pant and gasp into each other faces. As her orgasm approaches she instinctively tries to turn her head away, but Garrus pulls her head and makes a single rough thrust out of pace with the rest. She takes the hint and digs her fingernails into his arms and meets his eyes with a fierce glare. Garrus is presented with a vocal performance more feral than any Turian woman. Screaming, gasping panting into his face. Her eyes go wide and her whole body shudders so violently she almost loses her grip on his arms. He closely follows her, growling back into her face and keeping her fierce stare. At the peak of his climax his talons dig ridges into the shiny table and he opens his mouth in a silent snarl. A violent aftershock causes him to grip her thigh and close his eyes to steady himself. He wants to hold her close to him. He wants to smell her scent. But he can hear the noises returning. Surprised muffled noises. Drunken laughter. Thumping music._

Garrus opened his eyes and saw his hand clutching the purple thigh of the desperate Asari woman. She was laying naked on the table, legs still open, and his own fluid coating her. There's blood smeared the table. Suuki was gone. No, she wasn't gone. She was back at a luxury hotel with Kaiden. He had left with her. The scene before him sobered him up too quickly and he felt the dreadful pang of guilt rise in his chest. He wanted to close his eyes, but all he saw was Suuki's face...ashamed of him. Hating him. _She trusted him..._

Without a parting word to the Asari, he did up his pants and walked straight backed out of the seedy booth. He was met with a wave of cheers and more than one wolf whistle. His stomach sank as he realised that as he was standing and screwing that woman, most of the club could clearly see the top of their heads.

He didn't care. His inner voice was torturing him, and asked him if Suuki had come that hard with Kaiden. Was she still coming that hard? Desire already creeping back into his belly, he left the club and embraced the cool air of the wards. His hotel was empty. The Normandy was empty. His anger and jealousy spurred him on to continue to the lower wards. He eventually found a quiet bench, gingerly laid down on it and slept, dreaming of a beautiful face telling him comforting words and softly stroking his fringe.

Everyone on the Normandy was much more quiet than usual. Coffee cups were passed around. Painkillers were distributed, apologies were gently given and received and Pressley dealt with furious looks from Joker as he gently caressed his shoulder blade every time the navigator walked past.

Garrus had returned early that morning and strode into the CiC wearing his C-Sec armour. His predatory features scanned the room. He received the odd thumbs up from particularly sick looking crew, who had obviously been there for his grand finale with the Asari. He didn't care about that. There was one person on this ship he was hesitant to face, and out of sheer luck, she appeared next to him absently sipping her morning coffee.

"Mornin' stud." She chipped. He froze. He vaguely knew what that meant...

"Suuk-Sorry, Shepard." He nodded, trying to ignore any jab behind her greeting. "How was your night?"

Her eyes wandered into the distance and he wanted to shoot himself for asking. He saw her gaze fix on Kaiden, in the cockpit chatting to Joker. She was still staring...she hadn't answered him yet.

"Mine was ok." He interrupted whatever fantasy she slipped into...which did not seem at all fair once he thought about it.

"Ok? " A loud voice cried from just behind him. They both turned around to see a young man in an Alliance uniform, his face riddled with bad decisions and little sleep. "This guy has some Asari stripper begging to get skewered!" Garrus closed his eyes and wished the kid could have at least thought of a better phrase. The spirit of mercy must have been busy that morning, because he continued. "Jesus, I have never heard a woman make sounds like that! He was pounding her so hard in one of those booths the whole club could hear!" Garrus stared at the kid and alternated between wanting to snap his fragile little neck and suppressing the strong desire to flush himself out of the airlock. The kid shrugged and attempted a high five with Garrus. The three of them stood silently. Before the awkwardness could become too much to bear, Shepard sent the kid down to the cargo bay to take an inventory of emergency rations.

The commander and the Turian stood silently. Shepard loudly sipped her coffee. He stole a look at her face, trying to read her expression. He hoped and begged that he would see a look of jealousy...sadness...anything that would tell him that maybe she did not want him in the arms of another woman.

But he saw her gaze. Followed its direction. Kaiden. She was staring longingly at him again. The powerful emotions he spent on her last night were completely non existant in her world and he felt a barrier rise between them. She was oblivious. Uncaring. He backed away slowly. Letting her continue her gaze. He disappeared down into the cargo bay to return to his duties. He wondered how long it would take her to notice he was gone.


End file.
